Inker for self-printing ticket machines



y 1936- R. H. HELSEL 2,046,742

INKER FOR SELF PRINTING TICKET MACHINES Original Filed June 30, 1932 liw /f Ame/1mm.

Patented July 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE INKER' FOR SELF-PRINTING TICKET MACHINES Reuben n. Helsel, Long Island City, N. r., as-

signor to General Register Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application June '30, 1932. Serial No.

Divided and this application October 12, 1935, Serial No. 44,648 i l 3 Claim.

This invention relates to an inker for a selfprinting ticket machine and particularly relates to means for insuring that the inker cooperates properly with a printing surface.

This application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 620,091, filed June 30, 1932.

It is the object of this invention to provide an inking device which will be semi-automatically properly located relative to a printing roller irrespective of carelessness on the part of an employee who may insert the inking device after replacement of the supply of ink, adjustment, or the like. It frequently happens in devices of this sort that employees are careless in replacing parts of the machine which may require periodic removals, such as an ink supplying device. In the present design proper location of the device is substantially insured although its removal is ve y readily eflected.

The above and other objects of the invention relating primarily to details 01' construction will be apparent from the following description'read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which the figure shows the upper portion of a sell-printing ticket issuing machine with parts broken away and in section to show primarily the inking device and its associated elements.

Only so much of the ticket machine is illustrated as is necessary for an understanding of the invention herein claimed. The machine is completely described in my prior application rei'erred to above. Briefly outlined, it comprises a frame including side plates 2 and 4 between which are located various elements for properly guiding, feeding, printing and severing a ticket strip. A ticket guide 6 is indicated over which there passes tickets strip 8, the ticket strip passing between a platen roller l0 and a printing roller [4 which may carry a suitable fixed printing plate such as It and a dating head ill for printing upon the ticket stub. Gears and 22, secured to the respective rollers and in mesh with each other, are driven through suitable controlling mechanism by a gear 24.

The inking device for the machine comprises a housing 26 having a suitable cover. A well 36 containing ink is carried by the housing. A roller 22 journalled in the housing is partially submerged in the ink in the well. This roller makes surface contact with an intermediate roller 34 whichin turn makes surface contact with the ink applying roller 30, the latter being engageable by the type of the type drum to ink the same upon each revolution thereof. A train of gearing driven by gear 22 serves to rotate the various rolls in the inker.

The inker housing is provided with laterally extending flanges 21 which are designed to move between'rails 28 and rollers 38 pivoted to the side plates at 40. The inner end of one of the flanges 21 is provided with openings forming, in

'eiiect, a rack 42 engageable by the teeth 44 of clockwise direction tending to move the inker further inwardly to engage the inking roll with the type. It will be obvious that a limited movement of the inker outwardly will be yieldingly resisted by the spring 50, and until the spring is brought across the axis of the shaft 46, the

.segment will be effective to return the inker to its active position. As illustrated, it will be seen that a substantial movement of the inker outwardly will be required before this restoring eilect is destroyed. On the other hand, if the inker is to be removed, it may be pulled outwardly along the rails 28, whereupon spring 50 will pass to the other side of the axis of 46 with the result that the segment will be waiting to receive the inker when it is next inserted in the machine and will then properly mesh with the rack formed at 42. If, therefore, a careless operator puts the inker in the machine, so long as he moves it to practically its proper position the remainder of the movement will beautomatically effected by the action of the spring 50. This is particularly desirable since, in general, if the inker is removed the gear secured to the roller 30 may not mesh with the gear 22; that is, the ends of the teeth may engage. As soon as, however, the gear 22 starts rotating relative slippage will ocour and the gears will be brought into proper position to mesh. Thereupon the spring 50 will automatically complete the mesh and bring the inkingxroller into its proper operative position.

It will be clear that numerous changes may be made in the machine without departing from the spirit or the invention as defined in the following claims.

What I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, an inking deviceior inking a rotary member carrying a printing element, means for guiding said inking device towards and away from the rotary member, and means for urging the inking device towards the rotary member after reaching a predetermined position short of the member, said last means including a rack on the inking device and a pivoted pinion engageable with the rack and controlled by a spring movable to either side of its pivot.

2. In combination, an inking device for inking a rotary member carrying a printing element, means for guiding said inking device towards and away from the rotary member, and means for urging the inking device towards the rotary member after reaching a predetermined position short of the member, said last means including an engaging means and a pivoted member engageable with the engaging means and controlled by a spring movable to either side of its pivot, said engaging means clearing the pivoted memher when the inking device is moved away from the rotary member so that the inking device may be freely removed from the guiding means when such movement is eflected, said engaging means and pivoted member being mounted one on the inking device and one on the guiding means.

3. In combination, an inking device for inking a rotary member carrying a printing element, means for guiding said inking device towards and away from the rotary member, and means for urging the inking device towards the rotary member after reaching a predetermined position short of the member, said last means automatically freeing the inking device when it is moved to a predetermined extent away from the rotary 15 

